Know Better So You Can Be Better!

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It’s hard to do better if you don’t know better! So part of the…..

…..process of achieving any goal is to learn as much as you can about the process.

In terms of becoming as healthy as you can, start to become a student of nutrition, fitness, exercise, your body…The beauty of learning is it can happen in a variety of different ways through books, articles, DVDs, workshops, webinars, or mentors. If you want to improve your nutrition, start reading nutrition based articles, purchasing books on the topic, taking a healthy cooking workshop or hiring a nutrition consultant or registered dietitian to help guide you through the process. If you want to start exercising, read about proper conditioning and programming, purchase a DVD, take a practical clinic, or hire a personal coach or trainer who can hold you accountable and teach you safe and effective techniques.

This holds true for any aspect of your life. For example, if you want to excel professionally, purchase business books, take courses and find a mentor who can direct you. If you want to improve your relationships, read books on effective communication, take a relationship course or hire a relationship coach or counsellor to help you and your partner create a stronger bond. Become a lover of knowledge – Be like Curious George and aspire to learn something new every day.

Learning can also happen through experience. I explain this to my team at NWPT all the time. If an opportunity is presented to you that you are not 100% confident about, say yes and then figure it out as you go. It’s the best way to learn.  As you research and learn about the topic, you will become an expert from this point forward. Sometimes you just need to jump in. Perfectionism is one of the biggest obstacles to success. It’s the “Paralysis by Analysis” phenomenon – you aren’t 100% confident, you don’t have everything figured out, it’s not perfect yet etc…so you do nothing.  Instead just do it, go, press start, jump in, figure it out!  Soon you will be well on your way to achieving your goals.

MCI is a concept that I learned early in my career and it stands for ‘Measurable Constant Improvement’ and I believe it’s definitely one of the keys to success. The message is that it’s important to always ask ourselves how can I be a better person, a better parent, a better friend, a better employee or business professional…basically how can I reach for my Personal Best. My specialty is in the exercise conditioning realm but as a personal coach, in order to help someone achieve their personal best, we have to consider all realms of a person…physically, mentally, emotionally, professionally, spiritually…Everything is connected. How does it benefit someone if they are in great physical shape but struggling in every other part of their life? So spend a little time exploring every aspect of your being and asking yourself “what can I learn so I can be better?”

Sherri McMillan, M.Sc. has been inspiring the world to adopt a fitness lifestyle for over 25 years and has received numerous industry awards including International Personal Trainer and Fitness Presenter of the Year. She is the author of five books including “Go For Fit – the Winning Way to Fat Loss” and “Fit over Forty” and is the featured presenter in various fitness DVDs.  She is the owner of Northwest Personal Training in downtown Vancouver and can be seen running, hiking or cycling with her two children, Brianna and Jackson.  She can be reached at www.nwPersonalTraining.com or www.ShapeupwithSherri.com Note:  As an avid Columbian reader, you can redeem a 2 week pass at her world-class training studio to help get you started.  Contact 360.574.7292 for more details.